Different Types Of Guilt In Maus By Art Spiegelman

There are many types of guilt in the world today, whether it be deserved guilt, hindsight guilt, borrowed guilt, or any other form of culpability there is. Throughout the book Maus, the main character, Art Spiegelman, experiences different types of guilt and shame that has to do with his father, who happens to be a Holocaust survivor. He also experiences guilt with his mother, who committed suicide when Art was younger; and with the book he is writing about his father's experience. Over the entirety of Maus, Art is consumed with guilt in the form of guilt from an action that he completed, guilt that he did not do enough to help his mother survive, and guilt in the way of him doing better in life than someone else. Although these categories of guilt may have their differences, they are also alike in some ways and can relate to each other.

One type of guilt that eats at Art throughout the book is the guilt caused by his father, Vladek. As the story goes on, Vladek’s health dwindles and eventually he becomes very ill. Additionally, he is a very stubborn old man that likes things

Of these were guilt caused by actions he committed and actions that he thinks he committed. Despite the context and details of each situation, Art was still in the wrong each time and had the right to feel guilty about his actions. Whereas one form of guilt was caused by the disregard of his depressed mother, the others were caused by the mistreatment of his father and the selfishness of Art’s personality. Despite the differences in these types of guilt, there was always a consequence. Whether is was the suicide of his mother, the hurt feelings of his father, or the ways in which he realized he was being selfish, Art learned a lesson from each type of guilt that he encountered. By the end of Maus, the guilt that Art encountered not only made him a better son to his father, but also made him a better person